In recent years, small electronic devices with reasonable amounts of memory, faster processing power, and extendible operating systems have become extremely popular as well as affordable. These electronic devices are popular for situations when a personal computer or even a notebook computer is not convenient. Such electronic devices may operate electronic calendar programs, electronic personal organizer programs, user application programs, and other programs that may also be operable on larger computer systems. Such electronic devices may have databases for storing information for use by such programs, including calendar information, contact information, lists of tasks to be performed, files, data, pictures, bitmaps, and other information that may be stored in a database.
Many users of these electronic devices use a personal computer, notebook computer or networked computer as well. Some users may use an electronic device, a notebook computer, and a networked personal computer, each for different tasks or situations. Accordingly, these users may desire to have some information stored in each computer system. For example, a user may desire to store a copy of a contact information database, a company directory database, or a database of program files on the electronic device and another computer system as well, such as, for example, a notebook computer, stand-alone personal computer, or a networked computer system.
As changes are made to one database, it may be desired that the same changes be reflected in the other databases as well. For example, if new personnel are added or existing contact information is changed in a distributed database company directory, the user may desire to have those same changes reflected in the company directory database stored in the user's electronic device. Similarly, if the user adds contact information into the contact database stored on the user's electronic device, the user may desire to have that information added to the contact database stored on a distributed database system.
Some current electronic devices and computer systems permit users to is perform a two-way batch transfer of data between a single source database on a computer system and the electronic device database. These systems suffer from various drawbacks.
Such systems do not enable a user to transfer data with distributed database systems. Distributed database systems such as the distributed database system licensed by Lotus Development Corporation under the trade name Lotus Notes™, for example, provide a system that distributes multiple copies of databases through a networked system to enable more efficient and faster access to information contained in the databases. These systems provide for replication of information between the various copies of the database. Current electronic devices are not capable of properly synchronizing with a distributed database system.
Further, memory constraints on these electronic devices often prevent copies of large databases. Distributed databases as well as some other databases may exceed the storage capacity of an electronic device.
Other drawbacks also exist with current systems.